Shira Haas Nabs Golden Globes Nomination For ‘Unorthodox’ Role

Israeli actress Shira Haas received a Golden Globes nomination for best performance by an actress in a limited series for her leading role in Netflix series “Unorthodox,” the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced on Wednesday.

“Unorthodox” was also nominated for Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made For Television.

The German-American show debuted on Netflix in March 2020 and was inspired by the 2012 memoir “Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots” by Deborah Feldman. It was the first Netflix series to be primarily in Yiddish.

Haas plays Esty Shapiro, a 19-year-old Jewish woman unhappy in her arranged marriage among the ultra-Orthodox community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She eventually flees to Berlin, the home of her estranged mother, and abandons her former religious lifestyle.

Haas is the first Israeli actress to receive a nomination in this category, according to the Israeli television program Erev Tov With Guy Pines.

“Words cannot describe my excitement. It’s an unbelievable honor to be on the same list with such incredible talent. Thank you for this nomination, thank you for all the love. Did I already say thank you?” Haas wrote to her 454,000 Instagram followers after the nominations were announced.

Nominations for the 78th Annual Golden Globes were announced online on Wednesday by actress and six-time Golden Globes winner Sarah Jessica Parker and Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson.

The Golden Globes are awarded annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. This year, the awards will take place virtually for the first time ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event will take place on February 28 hosted by actresses and comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who are returning for the fourth time to host the awards.

Haas already received an Emmy Award nomination for her role in the series. The series was nominated for seven other Emmy awards including Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Casting For a Limited Series, Movie or Special, and won the award for Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series. She also recently received nominations for an Independent Spirit Award and a Critics Choice Award.

Haas has also received acclaim for her role in Ruthy Pribar’s movie Asia, which won her a Best Supporting Actress Ophir Award in Israel. The movie went on to win Best Picture at the awards, making it Israel’s Oscar entry this year.